Sciatica is the name of the largest nerve in the body. Sciatica is characterized by severe pain that starts behind the hip and extends to the back of the knee. One of the first symptoms, low back pain, is also felt in the buttocks. The pain spreads along the nerve. People should consult a doctor if their pain worsens. Posture disorder, inactivity, lifting heavy loads, obesity and old age, as well as hernia or damage to the vertebrae can also cause sciatica pain.
What is Sciatica?
Sciatica is the longest and thickest nerve in the human body. The nervus ischiadicus, as it is known in medicine, is responsible for regulating motor functions in the legs. The task of the sciatic nerve, which extends from the hip to the heel, is to send signals to the fibers that provide strength and movement in the legs. Pain caused by nerve compression is called sciatica. Sciatic pain occurs when the sciatic nerve is stretched, pinched or damaged.
Sciatica pain is usually felt on one side, and symptoms may be mild at first, but gradually intensify. Sciatica pain has the same prevalence in men and women between the ages of 20 and 60, who have a non-sports lifestyle or do heavy work.
What are the Symptoms of Sciatica?
It is a disease that occurs with severe pain.
- Pain aggravated by movement
- Urinary incontinence
- Tingling and stinging in the toes
- Feeling of weakness and fatigue in the leg area
- Advanced loss of movement
People who feel an aggravation instead of a reduction in pain should consult a specialist immediately. The symptoms that people with a serious condition will feel are as follows:
- Sudden intensification of back pain and leg pain
- Severe pain caused by trauma
- Numbness and weakness in the legs
- Inability to control the bladder and bowels
What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatica is often caused by a herniated disc. The bones in the spine can compress the sciatic nerve for various reasons. This causes sciatica pain, which is categorized in 3 groups. Sciatica is grouped as pain in the lower back, hip, back of the knee and foot. There are also different causes that lead to sciatica. The causes of sciatica are as follows:
Being sedentary
Sitting or being sedentary for long periods of time during the day can cause sciatica pain.
Lifting heavy loads
Unbalanced lifting while exercising or working can lead to sciatica.
Age
Weakness in the bone and surrounding tissues with age is another factor affecting sciatica pain.
Trauma
Sciatica pain can be caused by trauma to the area where the nerve is located, such as blows and falls.
Obesity
In people with obesity, excessive load on the spine puts strain on the body, resulting in sciatica pain.
Diabetes
Diabetes causes sciatic nerves to be more easily damaged.
Pregnancy
Weight gain during pregnancy can put pressure on the sciatic nerves and cause pain. At the same time, hormones secreted in pregnant women can expand the ligaments around the vertebrae, which can cause slippage in the discs and sciatica pain occurs.
How is sciatica diagnosed?
Sciatica pain may pass without intervention in some cases. However, the reflexes of patients who come with complaints of prolonged and increasingly severe pain are checked by physical examination. The doctor asks people to do some exercises and determines the movements that cause pain. After the physical examination, which is the first step, some tests are also performed. The cause of the disease is usually understood by MRI and computed tomography imaging methods.
How is sciatica treated?
Sciatica pain does not occur with the same intensity in every person. The severity of the pain directs the treatment process. While painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are sufficient in some mild cases, epidural steroid injection may be required in severe cases of sciatica. Physical therapy is among the methods used in the treatment of sciatica. Exercises (sciatica exercises) accompanied by physiotherapists help to correct posture and strengthen the muscles. Surgical operation is applied in cases where the disease progresses.
In cases where symptoms such as loss of control in the bladder and intestines, weakness in the leg muscles, neurological disorders are observed and non-surgical treatment methods do not yield results, the herniated part is removed by surgical operation and the pressure on the nerve is eliminated.
Other methods that can be applied in the treatment of sciatica:
- Exercises such as yoga and pilates will be useful for the treatment of sciatica. Exercises involving stretching relax the patient and reduce compression on the nerve root. Endorphins released in people who exercise regularly are good for pain.
- Avoiding activities that may cause pain such as sitting for a long time and lifting heavy loads will reduce sciatica pain.
- Hot compress application provides relief when applied to the area where pain is felt. Care should be taken as this application may cause burns on the skin.
- Acupuncture is also among the alternative methods recommended for treatment.